Absolute safety at any cost?

[RichmondCommu]

Walking across the WCML on the level, or a third-rail line, would be almightily stupid. But I've never understood why there is such a thing about crossing a low speed Scottish branch line with 4tpd on the level. You've got less chance of getting hit than crossing a tram line in Amsterdam - or, for example, crossing the A41 in Bucks on the level which you can do despite it being to all intents and purposes a motorway.

This is certainly something where the UK takes a strict line and most other countries don't.

Assuming that the fences are cheap to maintain then what would be gained by getting rid of them? Especially as they keep livestock off the line. Imagine the fall out if the fences were removed and some how some one was hit by a train.

 

[Llanigraham]

Not necessarily you could just pass an overarching act that amends the requisite parts of all the original acts as long as they are all identified in the coverage of the overarching act

And no-one complained!
And you didn't miss one out!

And it would still take ages and cost money...............forget it!

 

[miami]

That wouldn't be fair - some of the landowners will have owned the land before the railways were built.

Near HS1 perhaps, but I doubt there's many landowners who owned the land before the railways arrived. Perhaps an ancestor of them?

 

[Llanigraham]

Walking across the WCML on the level, or a third-rail line, would be almightily stupid. But I've never understood why there is such a thing about crossing a low speed Scottish branch line with 4tpd on the level. You've got less chance of getting hit than crossing a tram line in Amsterdam - or, for example, crossing the A41 in Bucks on the level which you can do despite it being to all intents and purposes a motorway.

This is certainly something where the UK takes a strict line and most other countries don't.

Try telling that to the pensioner in a car who got hit on her way to Chapel one Sunday morning, and said that she knew there were no trains on a Sunday morning..................but didn't take into account the tamper on it's way back to the Depot!
You can NEVER presume there is nothing using the line.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You can NEVER presume there is nothing using the line.

I don't think anyone is suggesting presuming nothing is using the line, but rather that you can look both ways and listen and see if a train is coming.

 

[RichmondCommu]

I don't think anyone is suggesting presuming nothing is using the line, but rather that you can look both ways and listen and see if a train is coming.

Well yes you can and that's done at a foot crossing.

 

[Jordeh]

Near HS1 perhaps, but I doubt there's many landowners who owned the land before the railways arrived. Perhaps an ancestor of them?

I think that goes without saying Paul.

 

[Llanigraham]

I don't think anyone is suggesting presuming nothing is using the line, but rather that you can look both ways and listen and see if a train is coming.

And that is not possible everywhere, and even when it is people do not look.

 

[neilmc]

Whenever I go to Leighton Moss RSPB by train, I have to use the foot crossing at Silverdale station. Now that's arguably far more dangerous than crossing a remote Scottish branch line illegally, after all there are plenty of non-stopping passenger trains which whizz through Silverdale not to mention the nuclear stuff. If I got splatted by a flask train because I didn't look too carefully the RSPB would have a fit at all that nuclear waste having to stop alongside their bird reserve, so I'm always very watchful.

But as Network Rail have not seen fit to put in a footbridge I conclude that safety is just SOMEWHAT of a priority and not an absolute one.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Plenty? 1tph in each direction at most

Notably there are still stations where it is necessary (or permitted if avoidable) to cross on a barrow crossing. Tywyn is the first one that springs to mind. Walking in front of a (stationary) train just feels wrong, but everyone does it. Penistone at least was another.

 

[greaterwest]

Plenty? 1tph in each direction at most

Notably there are still stations where it is necessary (or permitted if avoidable) to cross on a barrow crossing. Tywyn is the first one that springs to mind. Walking in front of a (stationary) train just feels wrong, but everyone does it. Penistone at least was another.

The gate at Farnborough North is sometimes released for a minute or two once the down train has arrived into the station, unless the up train is early. (bearing in mind that throughout the day Farnborough North trains depart at xx:27 and xx:30 past the hour)

Still feels wrong walking in front of it. Same goes for Gomshall's crossing, before it had a footbridge installed.

 

[Spartacus]

Try telling that to the pensioner in a car who got hit on her way to Chapel one Sunday morning, and said that she knew there were no trains on a Sunday morning..................but didn't take into account the tamper on it's way back to the Depot!
You can NEVER presume there is nothing using the line.

I think I might have been thinking of the very same incident, but thought it was a test train? Either way, same issue.

A bit of knowledge is often a very dangerous thing.

It's surprising how often people are accidentally hit, or nearly hit, by ECSs and other trains that aren't in the public timetable light freights, test trains, diversions etc: people think they know the timetable by looking at their little booklet, and don't realise there might the hundreds of others. Just before Xmas 2014 a girl was killed, and her friend was lucky to survive, sitting on the line at Hipperholme after the 'last train' and was hit by an ECS, and two guys who'd decided the perfect getaway from a £40,000 burglary was on the SWML on quad bike after the last train didn't count on the VSTP train that killed them being there.